Beauty and The Beast (Whouffle AU)
by OswinsSouffleShop
Summary: It's a tale as old as time. She's always wanted adventure, but is stuck reading them in books. He's cursed, stuck with a sliver of ice in his heart.


"Good morning," Clara Oswald said as she saw the baker looking her way. She gave him a kind smile, but averted her eyes. She knew the thoughts running through the minds of people in her town. She shifted the book underneath her arm and continued down the path to the library. Not many people went there, and certainty no other woman went there. Clara was special though.

From the look the townspeople gave her she didn't feel very special though. She just felt different.

She knew she was different from the rest. Unlike the other people in her town, Clara just wanted out. She knew there was more to life than what she'd been living. She'd read it in her books.

She continued down the cobbled path to where the library sat, her book shifting to her hands as she pushed through the door. She was always a little amazed when she saw all the books lined up on their shelves. She came into the building almost every day, but she never got over the beauty of books.

"Back so soon?" the librarian said with a laugh. Clara was to busy thinking ahead to her read to blush.

"The last one was fantastic. Couldn't put it down," she admitted, setting the book she'd been speaking about into the man's hands. "You should read it," she told him, giving him a smile. He was always kind to her. He didn't mind if a woman was reading, he just wanted people to read. "At least read to chapter eleven, it's the best," she added, moving to one of the bookcases.

"I'll keep it in mind," he said, placing it on a table pushed against the wall.

"Did you happen to get anything new?" she asked hopefully. She'd read almost all of the books in his library, some more than once.

"Not since yesterday, no," he told her, amused by her eagerness. Clara scanned the shelves, eyes finally resting on one book.

"That's fine," she told him, a smile playing on her lips as she pulled the selected book from the shelf. "I've got one." She showed him the navy spine and then settled it into her hands. The book's edges were worn, and Clara knew that was probably her own fault. She'd checked it out maybe half a dozen times.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Clara," the librarian said, and she gave him a wave goodbye.

Outside of the shop, just several feet away from the exit stood a man who had his eyes on Clara for some time. Not because she was odd, or because her father was often mistaken for mad, but because of her beauty.

"Clara," he called as she exited the building. The girl visibly recoiled when she heard his voice, but the man didn't notice this. "What's that?" he asked, swooping before her and grabbing the book from her hands. "A book? No woman should be reading this," he informed her, and if he couldn't disgust her further he threw the novel into the mud.

"Gaston," Clara muttered, trying to sound as friendly as possible, but only managing to sound something left of hostile. "How- _nice_, to see you," she managed, trying to move past him to retrieve her book.

"It is nice, isn't it," he said proudly, and she resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Gaston was a well-known hunter in town. Every man wanted to be him and every girl in town wanted to be with him. In addition to that he had the worst qualities possible in someone. He was arrogant, stubborn, rude, and selfish, only to name just a few.

Once she managed to get past Gaston she grabbed her book, wiping the mud off best as she could. He continued to talk, boasting about some hunting trip he'd made the week before. Clara tuned it out, focusing on slicking the mud onto the ground.

"If you'll excuse me, I must get home to my father," she blurted, Gaston mid-sentence of his explanation of hunting a deer.

"That crazy old man?" he asked, and Clara's brows furrowed. "You should be married now, settling done with a real ma. One like-"

"He is not crazy," she stated firmly, tucking her book under his arm. If Gaston had anything else to add he wouldn't have the chance to say it to her, because she'd already moved away from him, back toward her home and her father.

The town was small, so it only took her several minutes to reach her home located on the outskirts, but the short journey only reminded her of how little she'd ever seen. Clara had someone ventured outside to the forests surrounding the village, but only to read in the shade. She had never been on a real adventure before.

"Father," she called out as she entered her house. When she got no reply she went to the stairs, climbing down them. "Father," she repeated, this time with a smile, "I thought I'd find you down here." She ran her hand over a small device placed on his worktable. Her father was an inventor, one that didn't get enough credit. He was the town lunatic due to his many failed creations, and his views on the monarchy. Clara wished people would give him a chance, but she knew that their town wasn't the most liberal.

"You're to win at the fair tomorrow," she told him with a smile, watching as he tinkered with the large device placed in the center of the room. Dave Oswald just smiled at his daughter knowingly.

"This will be a new beginning for us, Clara," he promised her. Clara knew better than believe him, but a part of her felt that her father was right. She knew that the machine before her meant change.


End file.
